The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-06-04

ClVlL-SERVlCE REFORM.

One of the Reasons Why the Democratic
Party Is Entitled to the support of In
dependent Voters.
President Clcveland's brief address
mt the unvailing of the Garfield statue
in Washington fifty and forcibly en-
forced the "sad and distressing lesson"
of his predecessors death. While"
he said, american citizenship stands
aghast and affrighted that murder and
assassination should lurk in the midst
of free people and strike down the
head of their Government, a fearless
search and the discovery of the origin
and hiding-place of these hateful and
unnatural things should be followed by
a solemn resolve to purge for ever from
our political methods and from the
operation of our Government the per-
versions and misconceptions which
gave birth to passionate and bloody
thoughts. If from this hour" the
President concluded, "our admiration
for the bravery and nobility of Ameri-
can manhood and our faith in the pos
sibilities and opportunities of American
citizenship be renewed; if our appre-
citation of the blessing of n restored
Union and love for our Government be
strengthened and if our watchfulness
against the dangers of mad chase
after partisan spoils be quickened, the
dedication of this statue to the people
of the United States will not be in
vain"
The occasion suggests contrast be-
tween the situation rs regards the civil
service in 1881 and that in 1887. In
Lis second annual message to Congress.
December 5, 1870, President Grant rec
commended "a reform in the civil SER
vice of the country" which should
"govern not the tenure, but the man
ner of making all appointments" In
March, 1871, an amendment was
tackled on to an appropriation bill in
the Senate authorizing the President
to prescribe "such rules and regula-
tions for the admission of persons into
the civil service of the United States
as will best promote the efficiency
thereof, and ascertain the fitness of
each candidate in respect to age.
health, character, knowledge and ability
for the branch of the service into which
,he seeks to enter;" and also authorize
ing him to employ suitable persons to
conduct these inquiries A Civii-Ser-
vice Commission WAS appointed, and
rules were established for the filling
of vacancies by competitive eX:,mina-
tions, which were put in force during
the summer of 1872. The new system
speedily demonstrated its advantages
over the old, and in his annual mes
sage, December l. 1873, President
Grant urged its extension, pointing out
that Ito have any rules effective, they
must have the acquiescence of Con-
gress rs well as of the Executive" "
The Forty-third Congress was Repub-
!ican in each branch. more tl'an two to
one, but the party managers had no
sympathy with the reform, and they
proceeded to starve it to death. Mr..
Blaine, as Speaker. appointed II COM
mittce on Civi-Service reform, OF
which that unblushing spokesman, Gen
sral Butler, was the leading spirit, and
under the lead of Blaine and Butler, a
House Republican, by 1875 to 92, re-
fused to make any appropriation for
the support of the Commission in 1874.
and tho system soon after expired of
inanition.
General Grant made no further at
tempt to push the reform. General
Gariield's first step was step back
ward. He chose as his chief adviser
the man who as Speaker had been
chiefly responsible for the srlothering